1. Cote is a common Chilean nickname for María José meaning “Mary Joseph.” She asked her classmates to call her Cote after they kept mispronouncing her first name.

2. Born in Santiago and raised in Miami, Cote loves to travel and visits family in Chile every year.

3. She has never met a potato that she didn’t like. “In any way, shape or form, I love them,” Cote tells

4. She made her TV debut as the host of Spanish-language talk show

5. In her signature role as Israeli Mossad agent Ziva David on CBS’ hit crime drama

6. Cote preferred to play Ziva’s look on the more natural side to best emphasize the character’s confidence and inner beauty. A bonus to this less-is-more approach? She spent only 30 minutes each morning in the hair and makeup trailer.

7. She sings. Cote spends her free time writing and performing original music, and does a lovely rendition of Tom Waits’ song “Temptation” on the Season 6 premiere of

8. She loves the stage. She received a BFA in Acting and Musical Theater from Carnegie Mellon University, made her Broadway debut in a musical adaptation of

and performed in “Measure for Measure” for Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park.

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